Buffing wheel



Filed March l0. 1958 March 6, 1962 G. R. CHURCHILL 3,023,549

BUFFING WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOK D @eo/ye Q. Church/ BY ma/.em

ATTORNEY March 6, 1962 G. R. CHURCHILL BUFFING WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March l0, 1958 FIG. 4

States This invention relates to a buiing wheel.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved butiing Wheel embodying novel radially extended buiiing elements which may be economically manufactured and which may be used with advantage in producing a superior buffed iinish.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the bufling wheel hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end o f this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a length of connected bufiing elements used in making the present buiiing wheel;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of an individual buiiing wheel section embodying the buliing elements shown in FIG. l, a portion of the Wheel being broken away;

FIG. 3 is an edge view partly in cross section of the buing wheel section shown in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the steps preferably followed in folding the buffing material to produce the present bufng elements;

FIG. 7 is plan view of one of the bufling elements shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the line 7 7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view in horizontal cross section of one of buliing elements, the section being taken on line 8-8 of FIG. l;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the confined end of a bufng element as seen from the line 9 9 of FIG. 1;

FIG. l0 is a side elevation of a buiiing wheel or roll embodying a plurality of buiiing wheel sections, such as shown in FIG. 2, the sections being mounted side by side and clamped on an arbor; and

FIG. 11 is a side elevation of a modified form of bufling element.

In general the present invention contemplates a novel buing wheel embodying a plurality of individual bufng wheel sections of the type provided with a closed ring of radially extended cloth buffing elements connected together at their inner ends by Weaving wires and secured to a hub provided with an arbor hole for enabling a plurality of buffing wheel sections to be assembled on an arbor in side-by-side relation and clamped together to produce a buing wheel assembly having an extended working surface. Prior to the present invention such bufting Wheel sections have been produced with relatively flat and narrow elongated butng elements connected together at their inner ends which when formed into a ring 0f radially extended elements eifect substantial separation of the elements of their outer ends. Such prior bufiing wheel sections when made up into a buiiing wheel assembly in the manner heretofore described having radially spaced and relatively narrow buffing elements produce a structure wherein the individual buing elements operate more or less independently of one another and are subject to lateral deection when they engage the side walls of the work being butfed, and their side wall buiiing eciency is, therefore, substantially reduced.

In accordance with the present invention, each bufng wheel section comprises a plurality of relatively wide elongated multi-ply buing elements of cloth or like flexible material. In producing the buing elements a relatively wide strip of multi-ply cloth is passed through a atent 0 ICC shaping device to provide therein a plurality of longitudinally extended corrugations. The inner ends of the buffing elements are compressed and retained in a uniformly corrugated condition within their weaving wires, and the free ends of the bulring elements are permitted to are outwardly to a substantial width and in overlapping relation to each other while maintaining a generally corrugated shape. A length of such connected buing elements when formed into a closed ring and secured to a hub portion provide a bufling wheel section wherein adjacent radially extended buiiing elements are closely arranged in overlapping relation, at least onehalf the area of one element overlapping a corresponding area of an adjacent element, thus providing at the periphery of the buffing wheel section a continuous face of a thickness approximately twice the thickness of one element. When such sections are mounted on an arbor and clamped together to form a relatively wide faced buifing wheel assembly it has been found that a relatively yieldable surface is provided into which the Work to be buifed may be pressed with minimum effort and that the radially extended overlapped bufling elements provide considerable lateral support for each other so that in use there is less tendency for lateral deflection of the bufling elements when they engage the angular surfaces of the work being buifed. As a result an etlicient buiiing operation may be performed on the front face and portions of the side walls, parallel to the extension of the bufling elements, of the work being buffed. The corrugated structure of the elements tends to increase the rigidity of the elements 'and also provide each element with a relatively long, Wide builing surface which permits the bufling compound to be held in engagement with the work for more etiicient buing performance.

Referring now to the drawings, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the buiiing Wheel in its preferred form may comprise a plurality of radially extended buiiing elements, indicated generally at 1li, connected together at their inner ends, preferably by weaving wires 12 extending around adjacent bufng elements and attached to a hub member for assembly on an arbor or shaft. The hub member may take various forms and may comprise a metal or cardboard supporting disk 14 to which the individual bufling elements are secured by staples 16 to extend radially therefrom. As illustrated, an annular cardboard reinforcing member 18 may be provided on the opposite side of the buing elements through which the staples 16 are extended to confine the inner ends of the buffing elements 10 between the supporting disk 14 and the annular member 18. The disk 14 is provided with a central clearance opening 19, and an annular reinforcing member 20 dist posed concentrically of and secured to the relatively thin metal disk 14 by staples 22 is provided with an opening 24 to tit over the rotary arbor. A buing wheel thus produced forms an individual buiiing wheel section, a plurality of which may be mounted side by side on an arbor 26 and clamped together to form the relatively wide bung wheel assembly 27 as shown in FIG. 10.

In accordance with the present invention each buiiing element 10 comprises a multiple-ply folded strip of cloth of substantial width and which is preshaped to provide longitudinally extended corrugations 28. The inner end of each buing element 10 is confined and corn-pressed within the sheds of the weaving wires 12 with the corrugations 23 compacted uniformly together, and the free end of each buffing element is permitted to flare outwardly laterally while maintaining a generally corrugated shape. The outwardly ilared portions of each buiiing ele-k ment are arranged in substantially uniform overlapping relation to adjacent bulling elements to an extent such as to cover at least one half of its adjacent buing ele'- ment and to provide a substantially continuous bufling face of a thickness approximately equal to twice the thickness of one element.

The preferred manner of folding the multiple-ply strip of buing material is diagranmia-tically illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6 wherein two elongated sheets or strips of preferably bias cut cloth 30, 32 are superposed one upon the other, the upper sheet Sil preferably being relatively narrower in width, as shown in FIG. 4. The superposed strip is then folded inwardly from each marginal side in equal distances with one side overlapping portions of the first folded side, as shown in FIG. 5. The strip thus folded is then folded upon itself to produce the multiple-ply strip 34, as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 6, whereupon the free edges 36, 38 of the strip preferably are stitched together as indicated at 40. The stitching d@ enables the buffing wheel to be turned on the arbor in either direction by preventing the free edges 36, 5S from aring open. It will be observed that the folded structure of the buff forming strip is such as to provide closed or folded longitudinal marginal edges.

In the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention the initial overall width of the superposed sheets shown in FIG. 4 is such as to provide a final folded width of the strip 34 of about six inches and which may be of an S-ply thickness throughout the major portion of its width, and in practice the 6-inch wide strip may be advanced between upper and lower stationary shaping guides, not shown, to provide the strip with longitudinally extending flutes or corrugations. A predetermined length of the corrugated end of the strip is then advanced directly into and through an open shed of the connecting wires 12, and upon closing of the sheds the strip is compacted therein whereupon the strip is severed a short distance below the wires to produce an individual bufling element. The extended or free end of the corrugated strip is permitted to fiar outwardly to assume a generally triangular shape, as shown in FIG. l. In operation successive predetermined lengths of the corrugated strip are intermittently advanced into successive sheds of the weaving wires 12 to form a connected length of bufiing elements with the flared ends of adjacent elements arranged in overlapping relation, as shown in FIG. l. It will be observed that the inner or compacted ends are of a substantally elongated rectangular shape, adjacent inner ends being aligned edge to edge while the free flared ends of the elements are arranged at a slight angle relative to the inner ends as effected by the overlapping structure. The structure provides a buffing wheel which is capable of buffing soft metals, such as copper or aluminum in a streak-free manner.

As shown in the plan view detail (FIG. 7) of a. buing element, the flared end retains its generally corrugated shape in a spread-out sinuous form, and in the cross sectional view, FIG. 8, the corrugations 28 are closer together and of greater depth. The bottom view, FIG. 9, shows the connected end of the bufiing element with the uniform corrugations 28 compacted and compressed in a shed of the weaving wires 12, and in its assembled form, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, the connected end may measure about 3ft; of an inch thick and about l in Width, while the flared end may measure about 51/2 inches in width, such proportions providing a relatively Wide overlap of adjacent buffing elements so that the points 42, 44 of the flared end of one element extend beyond the center lines of adjacent elements. It will be understood that such proportions may vary, the essential feature being that the relatively wide and generally triangular shaped individual bufiing elements while confined in a relatively small space at their connected ends are flared at their free ends to provide a substantial overlap of adjacent elements. The prepleating or corrugating operation permits uniform disposition of the connected end of each buing element within the sheds of the weaving wires while permitting the free ends to flare and overlap adjacent buiflng elements.

In forming a birding wheel section a desired length of connected buffing elements of the form shown in FIG. l may be formed into a circular formI and the ends of the length joined to form a closed ring. Thereafter, the closed ring may be arranged concentrically with respect to the supporting disk 14 and attached thereto by staples 16 as described. It will be observed that a substantial amount of overlap of adjacent radially extended bufiing elements is maintained when the length of butiing elements is formed into a closed ring, such that the points d2, 44- of each bufing element extend beyond the center lines of adjacent bufiing elements.

From the above description it will be seen that a plural- I ity of such individual buiiing wheel sections may be mounted on the arbor 26 and clamped together to form a relatively wide buing surface, as shown in FIG. 10. It will be observed that the relatively long work engaging edge presented by each relatively wide buffing element being sinuous in form and arranged in overlapping engagement with adjacent buffing elements provides a relatively dense and uniform work engaging surface in the assembled roll which is adapted to produce a superior streak-free buffed finish to the work being buifed. It was also found that in practice when a rectangular piece of work to be buffed is pressed against and a short distance into the peripheral surface of the rotating bufling Wheel in addition to effecting efficient buffing of the front face Sti of the work, the side walls S2, 54 of the work are also engaged by the sides of the bufiing elements, the relatively wide overlapping structure of the bufiing elements operating to provide lateral support for each other such as to avoid excessive deflection, and to operatively engage the sides 52, 54 to also effect bufiing of the side walls of the work. It was also found in practice that the present structure of bufng wheel produced a relatively yieldable buffing surface requiring a minimum of pressure to press the work into the buing wheel while the extended portions of the wheel engaging the sides of the work produced sufficient lateral pressure against the sides to effect efiicient bufling thereof because of the lateral support afforded by the relatively wide and overlapping structure of the buffing elements.

In some instances it may be desired to produce a relatively stiffer bufiing wheel, and in a modified form of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. l1, this may be accomplished by providing each element with a plurality of spaced rows of longitudinally extended stitching 41.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed l. A buffing wheel section comprising a ring of elongated radially extending individual bufiing elements connected at their inner ends, and a hub member to which the elements are secured at their inner ends, each bufiing element comprising a relatively wide multi-ply length of sheet material preshaped to provide longitudinally extended uniform corrugations, the inner end of each corrugated multi-ply length being compactly hunched together in its uniformly corrugated shape and arranged side by side with adjacent bufiing elements, each buing element flaring outwardly from its hunched inner end and overlapping a major portion of the next adjacent bufiing element, the flared out extensions of said longitudinally corrugated elements assuming and maintaining a sinuous shape at the periphery of the assembled bufiing wheel.

2. A bufng wheel section as defined in claim 1 wherein each bufng'element is provided with a plurality of spaced rows of stitching to increase the stiffness thereof.

3. A buffing Wheel section comprising a ring of elongated, individual, radially extending buing elements, connected at their inner ends by weaving wires, and a hub member to which the elements are secured at their connected ends, each buting element comprising an initially relatively wide rectangular multi-ply length of cloth, each multiFply length being preshaped to provide longitudinally extending uniform corrugations, the inner end of each uniformly corrugated length being bunched together into a solid and substantially elongated rectangular form within a shed of said weaving wires and aligned edge to edge in engagement with the inner ends of adjacent bufng elements, the free ends of each buing element aring outwardly in relatively Wide overlapping relation with adjacent bufiing elements, the llared end of each longitudinally corrugated element assuming and maintaining a sinuous shape at the periphery of the assembled buiiing Wheel.

4. A buing wheel section as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said multi-ply cloth buing elements comprises a width of cloth folded and overfolded on itself to provide closed longitudinal edges, one longitudinal edge providing two folded edges, and a row of stitching connecting said two folded edges to prevent the edges from flaring outwardly.

5. A multi-section buiing wheel having a plurality of bu'ing wheel sections, each section comprising a ring of elongated, individual, radially extended bung elements connected at their inner ends, and a hub member to which the elements are secured at their connected ends, each bung element comprising an initially rectangular, relatively wide multi-ply length of cloth, each length being preshaped to provide longitudinally extending uniform corrugations, the inner end of each bulhng element being compactly hunched together in said precorrugated form and arranged in contiguous engagement with adjacent butling elements at their inner ends, the free ends of each bung element aring outwardly in relatively wide overlapping relation with adjacent buing elements, the flared end of each longitudinally corrugated element assuming and maintaining a sinuous shape at the periphery of an assembled buing wheel section, a plurality of said sections being assembled and clamped together side by side on an arbor to provide a buing wheel of substantial width, said assembled sections providing a yieldable bulling surface wherein the work to be buffed may be pressed into and below the outer peripheral surface of the buiiing wheel to engage the front and side walls of the work, the relatively wide and overlapping structure of adjacent buing elements serving to provide lateral support for each other to effect efiicient buing of the side walls of the work parallel to the extension of the buffing elements engaged thereby.

6. A buiiing wheel section having radially extended bu'ing elements and a hub member to which said elements are secured at their inner ends, each bufling element comprising a folded cloth assembly preshaped to provide uniform longitudinally extended corrugations, each buing element having its inner end hunched together in its precorrugated form and having its outer end flaring outwardly from its hunched inner end to provide at the periphery of the section a relatively long bufling surface, the inner ends of adjacent of said elements being arranged in side-by-side relation, and the outwardly aring ends of adjacent of said elements overlapping each other to provide at the periphery of the section a continuous face of a thickness equal to approximately twice the thickness of one element, the liared out extensions of said precorrugated elements assuming and maintaining a sinuous shape at the periphery of the buing wheel.

7. A buiiing wheel section as dened in claim 6 wherein the outer end forming the buing surface of each element is disposed at an angle relative to the hub member.

8. A buling wheel section comprising a length of elongated, individual, radially extended buftng elements connected at their inner ends, and a hub member to which the elements are secured at their connected ends, each buing element comprising an initially rectangular, relatively wide multi-ply length of cloth, each multi-ply length being initially shaped to provide uniform corrugaF tions, the inner end of each corrugated buing element being compactly bunched together to compress and maintain said uniform corrugations, each compacted end assuming an elongated rectangular shape in cross section and aligned edge to edge with the compacted inner ends of adjacent buiiing elements, the free end of each buing element flaring outwardly in relatively wide overlapping relation with its adjacent bung element, Ithe lared end of each butling element maintaining its generally corrugated shape at the periphery of the assembled buiing wheel, and each bung element being arranged at a slight angle with relation to its compacted end.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,889 Levett Feb. 9, 1909, 2,146,284 Churchill Feb. 7, 1939 2,658,315 Peterson Nov. 10, 1953 2,704,854 Peterson Mar. 29, 1955 2,803,096 Mockiewicz Aug. 20, 1957 2,819,567 Hall u u a Jan. 14, 1958 

